Talking to Emily Henry on the phone feels strangely familiar. Having sold nearly 2.5 million books—with two currently being adapted into films—she’s mastered the art of the romance novel, sparking countless Reddit discussions, fan-casting debates, and even tattoos of her dialogue. Readers know an Emily Henry book will make them ache, swoon, cry, and scream—everything a great story should do. And they’d recognize her voice, just as I did over the phone: warm, curious, and sharp.

But with her sixth novel, Great Big Beautiful Life, out today, Henry takes a slight step away from her usual formula. The story follows Alice Scott, a writer chasing a career-defining story on sleepy Little Crescent Island, where she hopes to interview the enigmatic heiress Margaret Ives. There’s just one problem: Margaret has also invited Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Hayden Anderson for a monthlong trial. Only one of them will win the chance to write her biography.

Ahead of the release of her most ambitious book yet, Henry spoke with Vogue about memory, legacy, her favorite romance tropes, and how Hacks influenced her storytelling.

Vogue: Great Big Beautiful Life bends genres, leaning into literary fiction in a way that might surprise your fans. Was that shift intentional?

Emily Henry: I’ve been calling it a sidestep because there’s still a central romance and a lot of love in the story. It wasn’t entirely planned—after writing straightforward rom-coms for so long, I felt ready to try something new. And this book was one of those rare ideas that came to me almost fully formed, which never happens. After the first draft, I even tried pulling it back toward my usual style, but every change just led me back to this version. Eventually, I had to accept that this was the book I wanted to write. Luckily, my readers have been so generous, willing to follow me into slightly new territory. I’m excited—and nervous—for them to take this journey, because you’re right, it is different.

Vogue: The book has multiple reveals, timeline jumps, and layered stories. What was the biggest challenge in writing that way?

Emily Henry: The first draft flowed easily—every revision after that was tough. Balancing the two storylines was tricky. I know you’re not supposed to read reviews, but I sometimes peek at the positive ones, and it’s interesting how many readers feel the historical storyline takes up more space—but statistically, that’s not true. The contemporary romance between Hayden and Alice is still the core. Making both stories feel complete was a challenge. At one point, it felt like I’d written two separate books, and I even considered splitting them. But they’re too tightly connected—you don’t see how until the end.

Vogue: You’ve used flashbacks before. How did you decide when to jump back in time here?

Emily Henry: Great question. Usually, my flashbacks aren’t written separately from the main story. Sometimes I add them later if the reader needs more context or emotional depth. But in this book, the past and present were always intertwined—each jump had to feel natural, like peeling back layers. It was less about forcing a structure and more about letting the story unfold the way it needed to.Generally, I write the A plot and B plot—or the present and past storylines—simultaneously. The point where I switch between them is about setting up the next section, which ties into how memory works. That’s one of the fascinating things about memory in general.

That was actually one of my questions! GBBL deals heavily with themes of time and memory.

That’s how we experience it—moving through our daily lives when something triggers a memory, almost like a coda in real life. The storylines echo each other.

The overarching theme I was exploring was legacy. What interests me is that we all come from somewhere, yet we only know fragments of our past. Even with the people who raised us, we don’t always understand everything that shaped them or how it influenced the way they raised us. What’s compelling about larger-than-life family dynasties in pop culture is that we can trace those reverberations through history because their lives are so well-documented.

In the book, there’s a kind of bargaining of information when two people learn from each other. That’s what intimacy is—as we grow more comfortable, we become more vulnerable and share more of ourselves. Some people naturally draw that out of us. Take Alice and Margaret, for example: they’re relative strangers, yet they’re open with each other. Then there’s the contrast with Alice’s relationship with her mother—they love each other, they’ve known each other for years, but so much remains unspoken, things Alice doesn’t even know how to bring up.

I want to dig deeper into Alice’s relationship with her mother, since it’s such a big part of the book. Why do you think she struggles to see her mother as a full, three-dimensional person?

I love that question. Before writing this book, I knew I wanted to focus on a mother-daughter relationship because I often write about father-daughter dynamics. Mother-daughter relationships are some of the trickiest, even when they’re good. There’s an easy trap where you remain an extension of your mother—her hopes and dreams weigh on you in a way they might not with a son. Alice is at a point where she’s starting to see her mother more clearly, beyond just the role of “mom.” That’s a natural shift as you get older and your perspective widens.

Let’s pivot to the men in the book. Without spoiling too much, you wrote lyrics for a character named Cosmo. How was that process?

Daunting! But I took comfort in knowing lyrics from that era (late ’50s, early ’60s) were generally simple. I’m sure they felt revolutionary at the time, but the sound carried a lot of it. So I gave myself permission not to overthink it.

Years ago, I had a conversation with Taylor Jenkins Reid about Daisy Jones & The Six—some of her lyrics were jaw-droppingly good. I was disappointed one of my favorite lines didn’t make it into the adaptation, but she pointed out that lyrics had to fit the characters’ voices. That was the same with Cosmo. I thought, This is a man from the late ’50s/early ’60s—I have to capture his perspective.Here’s the rewritten text in clear and natural English:

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It’s best to fully embody the character while writing them. Hayden is an incredible male love interest—you clearly have a talent for creating men we all wish were real. What draws Alice and Hayden to each other?

Alice is naturally drawn to people. That’s where it starts. She enjoys understanding others, and when someone is closed off or unresponsive, it doesn’t deter her like it might for most people. She’s patient, giving others the benefit of the doubt—a rare and admirable trait that’s hard to maintain. She’s innately curious and recognizes that if someone isn’t putting their best foot forward, there’s likely a reason.

Hayden is her opposite—guarded, private, and protective of his personal life. When someone like Alice responds to him the way she does, he doesn’t trust it at first. He’s naturally suspicious of relentless optimism. It’s only after seeing her consistency that he begins to believe she’s genuine, not manipulating him. The very thing that initially pushed him away becomes what draws him in.

They’re also well-matched because she brings the optimism and faith he needs—the belief that there’s good in the world, that love is worth fighting for, even if those ideas can sound clichéd.

And yes, they’re both writers! Writers, booksellers, and book lovers often appear in your work.

Absolutely. Writers and book people share that deep curiosity. It’s a world I know well—there are so many ways to be a writer or work with books. Plus, it instantly gives readers a connection to the characters.

In a world full of sequels and series, your books are standalones. Why?

For me, a good story needs conflict. Since I write romances at their core, the emotional arc is about a couple finding their way to each other or overcoming obstacles. Once they’ve done that, I don’t want to disrupt their happiness. Realistically, I know these characters will face more challenges, but I don’t feel the need to write about them. Most of my books haven’t been out that long—Beach Read was five years ago. Maybe in another five or ten years, I’ll revisit them, but right now, I don’t have more stories to tell about them.

Let’s talk about your favorite romance tropes. What do you love? Only one bed? Will-they-won’t-they?

I adore the “only one bed” trope and sickbed scenes. For broader dynamics, enemies-to-lovers is chef’s kiss when done well. In historical romance, I love a marriage of convenience—it’s harder to pull off in contemporary settings, but in historicals, it makes perfect sense.

What about second-chance romance? You’ve written one before.

As a reader, it’s not usually my go-to unless it’s by an author I already love—then it can become a favorite. Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go, about a divorced couple reconnecting, was stunning. I’m obsessed with it. But if it hadn’t been hers, I might not have picked it up. That said, I can be convinced by anything.

Are you watching anything…

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(Note: The last sentence was cut off in the original, so I left it incomplete as well.)Here’s the rewritten text in clear and natural English:

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Is there anything that’s inspired your writing? Or is TV just your downtime?

Mostly downtime. I recently watched Severance and Silo, but they didn’t really influence my writing. I don’t think The Real Housewives has much impact either, though I enjoy watching it. But one show that did inspire me is Hacks. I love the intergenerational friendship between the two women—how they mirror each other despite being at very different stages in life. There’s this almost enemies-to-lovers dynamic, full of tension but also camaraderie. It’s such a beautiful portrayal of friendship, and that’s influenced this novel.

One last question—I spoke with Yulin Kuang, who adapted People We Meet on Vacation and is directing Beach Read. What are you most excited about seeing your book on the big screen?

I’m thrilled for people to see Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as these characters. They’ve completely reshaped how I see them in the best way. They’ve embodied the roles so well that they’ve added new layers to the characters. A lot of people ask if much had to change and how I feel about it, but honestly, one of the things I’m most excited about with the People We Meet on Vacation adaptation is the new scenes. They’re so wonderful, giving readers extra Alex and Poppy moments that didn’t exist before. It all fits perfectly, but it’s fresh—a fun surprise I didn’t expect to love this much.

That’s really nice. You clearly love your fans!

I do! My biggest worry with adaptations is just wanting the fans to be happy. The book is mine—I had full control over that. The adaptation can’t be the same, but if they love it, that’s success to me.

Do you want to do more movies in the future?

Absolutely. I’m already working on a few, and I’ve loved watching Yulin and the other writers develop something new. It’s been really rewarding. But I’m also excited to work on my own projects.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.

Great Big Beautiful Life
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